Roller reefing gear



May 31, 1938. B T

ROLLER REEFING GEAR Filed April l4, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l l'wvemibr 7 May 31, 1938. M

ROLLER REEFING GEAR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 14, 1957 aiiorrzgy Patented May 31, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROLLER REEFING GEAR Application April 14, 1937, Serial No. 136,811

3 Claims.

My present invention is a novel and improved apparatus providing a roller reefing gear for fore-and-aft rigged vessels, and is directed to improve and perfect the construction and opera- 5 tion of a roller reefing gear at each end of the rotating boom or spar, and comprises novel fittings at the mast end for the tack of the sail and at the outhaul end for the clew of the sail to be rolled upon such boom or spar.

Heretofore various devices constituting roller reefing structures have been devised wherein gears, or the like, have been attached to a boom or similar sail-supporting structure constructed to be rotated to wind the sail around the boom for reefing or furling; but all such prior roller reefing gears have been unsatisfactory in various particulars, being complex, cumbersome, clumsy, difiicult to operate and inconvenient in position.

A further diificulty with such prior devices was that the shackle or fastening means for the tack of the sail, where it was secured on the boom, was spaced so far from the mast on which the lufi of the sail would slide that it was extremely difficult to operate the roller reefing mechanism as the sail was lowered on the mast during the rolling operation with the sail drawn or pulled at an angle from the fastenings at or around the mast, and an extra hand was required at the mast and to lead the sail into position; and also it was practically imposible to effect a smooth rolling reefing operation because of the angular drag of the luff of the sail from the mast to the boom.

Such operation was especially difficult where slide fastenings were arranged for the luff of the sail and the mast, such slides having to be removed form the track on the mast at a suitable distance above the boom to allow for such angular drag of the luif of the sail between the rolling boom and the slide fasteners.

In my present improved construction I have eliminated the difiiculties above briefly outlined and have devised a strong, simple, and efficient rolling reefing gear construction both at the mast end and at the outhaul end, in combination with a goose neck structure which operates to support the boom and roller gears in such a position as to permit the tack of the sail secured to the boom to be substantially in alignment with the gooseneck pivot on which the-boom swings and substantially incorrect alignment with the lufi of the sail.

Thus my present invention provides a roller reefing gear construction and fitting which will draw the luff of the sail during the rolling or unrolling to the boom shackle, or fastening, for the tack, substantially in direct alignment with the track and slides on the boom, or the encircling mast hoops, when the latter are used, thus eliminating the angular drag between the rolling boom and the mast fastenings and, furthermore, insuring a smooth, even rolling and, hence, reefing and furling operation, entirely automatic and by the simple rotation of the reefing gears and slacking of. the hoisting halyards. 10

- Also, I provide this entire improved structure with a novel L-shaped type of goose neck to bring the pivot clews to the mast and with a rotating gear structure in a more compact, strong, and easily operated construction than has hereto- 15 fore been possible, as Well also as providing a fitting at the mast which will guide the sail and guard the gears, and permit the entire fitting to be raised and lowered in any position desired, while at all times keeping the goose-neck boom 20 pivot, tack fastening, and mast slides or fastenings for the luff of the sail substantially in alignment.

In carrying out my invention I provide a rotatable boom structure supported at each end 25 and with a suitable gear adjacent the gooseneck end secured to the boom, together with an operating worm meshing in said gear, to which cranks or handles may be attached for rotating the same, and all supported from my 30 improved and novel goose neck structure which carries the pivotal support for the boom, suitable. links holding the worm in mesh with the gear on the boom, and all constructed, arranged, and pivotally supported on an adjustable mast- 35 fitting so that the same can be conveniently operated at any angle or position in which the boom may be swung for rolling the boom and reefing the sail or for unrolling the same. This capacity is an important feature and, furthermore, 40 the entire structure is so compact and it requires but slight room and enables the tack of the sail to be fitted on the boom in alignment with both the lulf of the sail on the mast and the pivot of the boom for swinging vertically and horizontally.

In combination with this improved mast structure I provide a novel and improved clew outhaul structure which cooperates therewith. 50

Referring to the drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of my invention,

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan View;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the clew out-haul end; 55,

V ly therearound. V

V is afragmentary view in cross-section of the clew outhaul structure;

"and the goose-neck fittings;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional View on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; V

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view on the line 55 of Fig. 3 showing the'slide construction throughout the length of the boom between the outhaul Fig. 6 is an enlarged view particularly in crosssection of the goose-neck and mast fitting;

Fig. '7 is an end view on the line.1'l of Fig. 6;

and

' Figs 8 and 9 are side and end views, respectively, V

of a modified form of goose-neck fitting. V As shown in the drawings,I have illustrated in diagrammatic form a vessels mast l,1ca rrying.th'e' roller reefing boom 2, boom crutch 3'at the out-3 haul end, topping lift 4, andthe fragmentaryportion of a fore-and-aft sail 5, illustrating the foot of the sail 6, a part of the lufi 1, and aj portioni of the leach 8. V

In the particular form of"fore and aftsail illustrated, a 'typeVof typical jib-"headedmainsail,

or so-called Marconi or Bermuda rig, is designated but'it willbe understood that a gaff rig Vor 'any' other suitable form or contour of sail capable of having :the 'lower. or foot portion rolled garcund the boom '2 can be employed V'advantae eously with my'impr ved roller reei ing'gear.

V In the particular form herein illustrated, I

have shown the mastxl fitted with a slide [0 on which slide'fasteners I 2 l2 are arranged, which are secured to the luff l of the sail. Ataekthimble or cringle l4 is secured to the corner of the foot and lufiZandVthe outhaul or clew cringle;l 5 is fitted to and secured in the corner between the ,foot and leachby suitable spacings of the bolt {rOpQflIld stitchingte the sail.

. The boom 2, which may-be either solid o rhoL- low, and if hollow,V will be sealed. at each .end'

where, the goose neck Vi'ltting is attached, at the mast and where the clew outhaulfflttings are secured,such boom having throughoutits length at he l pperipart. a gliqeve .2Q'in which. a traclgl l lisV' ifitted with suitable slides j 22 having eyes S gr raised portions "23 ,therein below the normal con} q Vt pher V if e o 2 h t e V foot of the sail 6 whenlash'ed to the' portions 23 portion 29 on' the outer'periphery of the boom to r iv a m a sin w ch emce th end of the boom and carrieson its extremeouter -or rorward piece adjacent the mast -l a gear n,

Piererably, also; I b'ore a central tapered hole froin the end of the boom inwardly, a'sindicated at 34, to receive aninwardly projectingcenter casti'ng 36'r6rmed integral with the member an andg'ear '33. The interior offth'is center casting 36 is hollow and prcvide s bearing 'surfaces 31 and 38in which fit androtate bearings snafu-10f a shaft 40, on which :shaft" th' m 22 rotates- 1 form this shaft 40' as a n i t g with a hub whichv extends beycnd the gear 133;: as a forked member withfdependin .l m 1 and 52, having-a bored recess 53 thru-the top pair of the forked members to receive a bolt 55; and at,

the bottom of said arms 5| and 52, I form bearings in the hubs 56 and 51 for the shaft 58 carrying a worm 60 between said hubs 51 and 58,

said shaft 58 extending beyond the hubs and V,

being squared to receive a crank 6| with a handle 62 to rotate the same on either end. The worm 60 is :spli-ned or 'otherwise'secured to the shaft 58 and is adapted to mesh with the teeth 33 on the castings secured rigidly to the boom 2.

. a ement with the gear 33 and will move rigidly therewith when the boom is raised or lowered vertically, which vertical movement is permitted by the bolt-55 acting as a vertical pivot for said boom and the gear connections. V

VAs.it is important. to have the gear structure as "compact as possible to save space between the mast 'l'rand back cringle M of the'sail 5, I am Venabledto gain someadvantage by hollowin'g. or recessing the 'casting 30 Where the gear 33 is formed thereon; as shown at 63, Fig. 6. I also form an encircling flange V65 around the casting 30V to guide the luff 1 against entanglement with the gear "33 asthe sailjis lowered and the bgorn rotated, although .as previously explained, my construction enables thetack I'4Vt be so closely 1 V positioned to the mast l as to be substantially in a a vertical alignmentwith the luff of the sail and,

;hence, the tendency of the sail is to wind up smoothlyaround the 'boom and notxto drag across the flange 65 er. the. gears.

oi e ure he fQ edV m e an. 51'; and 5.2. as well as the axle 4V0 on which the boom 2 ro tates, togetl' er I assemble the axleto the casting 30 before fitting the same to. the boom. Thus I fi e. a le 40. 0, the e t al hub 36; a b i these together by "having a threaded extension 66 h xi e eje si g h xa jm toe te di e y nd-theeenter casting. 36; and tojreceive 1a threadedV nut-GT, which bears upon awasher 6B spanning the end op'eningnfithe center castingilfi fI'hus the worm 60 is at all times held mm V and-thus hold .the axle and .its assembled forked niemzbe in rotatable contact with the entire end r a tin jfle V V V Jnorder to secure. the tackVof the sail to this fitting 3D, Iprovide in the upper portion a grooved section fi'fl inwhich. a shacklebolt I0 is secured by a shackle pin 69, which shackle 10 will engage the tack cringle J4 and thus hold the tack'of the sail properlyimalignment with the top .of the boom; and by my construction I am enabled to fit this shackle 111 soVcloVseVtoVthe mast Vlas to have the lufiiwl inwalignment withtthe. track fastenings above and withfthe horizontal pivot below the boom onwhich .theVsame swings, and

which pivotal construction will now be described. .Fitted tothe forkedhub 50 is the upper por tion of my 'L-shapedVgoose-neck fastening H, which is of appropriateVwidth to spanVthe fork "between 'thearms 51 and 52, and is rounded' as shown in dotted lines at 12 and bored to' receive Vthe. bolt i 55, Whichthus' supports the hub 50., arms T51 and .52, withVVlthe attached worm gear, and the casting 3D'and the boom Z'on a vertical pivot. fIhegoose-neckmember ll extends down-' wardly asufficient distance to clear the Worm 60, and 1 then expand the same underneath the arm as bysan arm 1.5;to a vertically depending pivot 1T! V'fittedV'i-substantially underneath the shackle 10 for the tack of the sail and, hence, in align V ment with the luff 1.. The'pin H forces :the hori z'ontal .pivot .for the swinging :of the boom while the Jbltl'55 aifordsithelvertical pivot V .V V 1 To support the pivot 11 and, hence, the gooseneck structure I provide an adjustable mast fitting comprising a rearwardly extending bracket with a hub BI formed to receive the pin 'I'I of the goose-neck II, and with a pair of mastencircling straps 82 and 83 which are suitably folded together by lugs 84 and B5 on the end of each strap and united by bolts 8686 and nuts 8'I8I. These may be adjusted about the mast I to any desired height to support the boom 2.

I prefer to form the pivot member 11 and the supporting socket 8| as tapered members, as illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7, and provide shouldered extension on the pivot 'I'I downwardly below the socket member 8|, as shown at 81, to be threaded and receive a correspondingly threaded nut 88 to hold the same in assembled position.

Thus it will be seen that by my novel and improved L-shaped goose-neck construction cooperating with the casting 30 and the forked hub member supporting the worm 60, which member is itself, in turn, pivotally supported by the bolt 55 to the Lshaped goose-neck member II, I have provided an extremely simple, strong, efficient and compact roller reefing gear construction which accomplishes the desirable result of having the pivot TI and all its attached reefing gear construction substantially in alignment with the luff of the sail.

Fitting of the handle 6| to either squared end of the shaft 58 and rotating the worm 60 thereby will thus rotate the boom 2 and either roll up the sail as the hoisting halyard is slacked off, or unroll the sail when the halyard is being set up, keeping the entire foot of the sail at all times smooth and unwrinkled, eliminating all tendency to drag the luff angularly across the gears as it comes down from the mast slides or hoops, or as it is drawn up along the same.

Furthermore, the gear can be operated with the boom at any angle on its horizontal pivot 11,

either brought ofi at practically a ninety-degree angle with the keel, or unduly in alignment with the keel as when the boom is resting in the boom crutch 3 and at any angle in between, as well also as when the boom is at any angle vertically either on the pivot affordedby the bolt 55 either with the boom held up by the topping lift 4 or otherwise.

In Figs. 8 and 9, I have illustrated a modified form wherein I position the worni 60 to mesh with the gear 33 on the top of same instead of at the lower or bottom portion, and in this modified form I make the goose-neck as a forked member to extend upwardly and span both the worm 60 and the corresponding yoke, comprising arms and 9| formed as a casting with the axle 40. As best shown in Fig. 6, this construction provides the upwardly extending arms 90 and 9I as a rigid expansion of the axle 40, having hubs at the upper ends 92 and 93 between which the worm gear 60 is secured to the crank shaft 58.

This shaft 58 extends beyond the hubs 92 and 93 to hubs S4 and 96 formed at the end of U- shaped arms 91 and 38 of this type of goose-neck I30, which has a corresponding tapered pivot pin IOI fitting in the socket 8| of the mast fitting, with a threaded extension I02 secured by a nut I03 corresponding to the horizontal pivot as explained in connection with Figs. 6 and 7.

In this form I provide a somewhat closer positioning of the shackle bolts II and flange 65 on the casting 30 to the back of the mast I, as will be readily appreciated, and the operation of rowith the goose-neck end, I form an outhaul fitting comprising a casting IIIl fitted in the recessed and shouldered part of the boom 2 at the outhaul end, with a central troughlike section I I2 extending a considerable distance forwardly of the foot end of the boom sufiicientto allow the clew outhaul operation. At the forwardend of the trough I I2 is provided a hub H3, and at the foot end is a corresponding shouldered hearing "I I4 to receive the forward and aft end, respectively, of the threaded shaft II5, permitting rotation of this shaft with the thrust bearing lengthwise, as'shown in Fig. 3. I

Fitted on theshaft H5 is a travel member IIB having a threaded socket thru which the shaft II5passes. At the upper end of the traveler I I6 is an extension II'I thru which a pin II8 passes to engage an L-shaped shackle I20 adapted to engage the clew cringle II5. Thus, rotation of the shaft II5 will move the traveler IIB inwardly or outwardly and, correspondingly, the clew of the sail loosening or stretching it respectively within the limits of the length afforded by the shaft I I5.

I prefer to form the trough II2 with a pair of inwardly extending flanges I2I and also form on the traveler II 8 a pair of outwardly extending ridges I22 to bear just underneath these flanges I2I throughout the entire extent of the trough II2 except at an opening I24 to allow assembly, said opening I24 being slightly greater in length than that of the ridges I22 on the traveler IIB. Thus the strain of the sail is taken from the traveler to the flanges I2I and thereby relieving the shaft II5 of such stress.

I form the outer end of the shaft II5 squared at I25 to receive the handle of a crank to rotate the same and manipulate the clew outhaul inwardly or outwardly, as desired. I also prefer to form the end of the casting I I4 with a rearwardly extending shoulder or reduced portion I28 to receive a circular ring I30, having a depending lug I3I to which a shackle I33 is fitted and which secures the main sheet block, thus permitting the boom to be rotated inside the ring I30 during reefing or unrolling and while the main sheet is secured thereto.

In order to secure the ring I3I in its position I apply a plate I35 having a hollow and inwardly turned portion I36 to fit within the flanged end II4 of the casting. Said plate may, if desired,

have its inwardly extending hub threaded into the outwardly threaded part of the shouldered casting H4 and with a central opening to receive the inwardly extending portion of the hub I31 of the boom crutch 3, which boom crutch, in turn, has an enlarged opening I38 to encircle the socketed end I25 of the shaft II5 to permit a crank to be applied thereto and operate the clew outhaul when the boom is in position. Fastening screws I39 may also be provided to secure the plate I 35 and rear casting II4 together and prevent loosening of the same.

I may and preferably do form the plate I35 with an inner annular groove in which is secured and fitted a ring I40 assembled therein when the plate I35 is threaded into the shouldered end of the casting II4. This ring is to carry the topping lift shackle I4I and also a locking latch I42 which engages the top I43 of the boom crutch, thereby looking it in positionfiFor this purpose Iextend the upper part of the ring I40 as a U-shaped member I44'thru which a pin I45 secures the latch 142, which lat'ch may be moved upwardly into the U-shaped space afforded by the contour of lfl'when the top I43 of the boom crutch is released. jAt the upper end of this U-shap'ed member I cast an ear I 46 boredito receive the pin 1 of the topping lift shackle I42, all as'olearl'y shown in Figs; 2 and 3.

The boom crutch may be of any suitable form V or contour. desired, either as a single support or a pair of'spanned members, herein illustrated at 3-3 extending downwardly-to a fitting I50 on'thedeck of the boat and permitting swinging action 'of the legs 3 and the entire. boom crutch when the latch I is released from the topmost portion I43, as will be readily understood.

. Thus I have provided a'rotatable reefing gear with cooperating pivotal structure 'at each end,

'which enables the slot to be adjusted and fitted by manipulatingthe clew outhaul either with theboom crutch in position or when the outer endis supported bythe topping lift and with the rolleroperating gears so compactly constructed and arranged as to draw the entire sail smoothly during the rolling operation.

I claim:

1. An improved roller reefing gear oi the kind. described comprising a rotatable boom, a pivotal support for said boom at the mast end, tackholding means adjacent the mast end, gear-turning mechanism adjacent'the tack-holding means, a goose-neck structure 'afiording a pivot for vertical movement of the boom, and a pivot for horizontal swinging movement" of said boom, the

horizontal pivot being'substantially in alignment with said'tack-holding. means.

2.;In ,a roller reefing gear construction, a fitting for .ri'gid attachment to the end adjacent the mast on a spar to be ro1led,'saidfitting comprising a vertical pivot1construction, a rigid gear, a worm to'operate said gear, a pair of links supporting said worm and movable with, the spar' 'on'said vertical'pivot, and'an" L-shaped gooseneck attached'to the said fitting and links, and having a horizontal .pivot extending under the said gear and worm closely adjacent the mast,-

and substantially in alignmentwith the luff of a sail attached to said mast and tobe rolledon' said boom. I

3. Boom supporting and rotating mechanism of the kind described, comprising a pivotal end fitting for the boom' adjacent the mast, a tackholding fastening to secure thetack of the sail adjacent said end of said boom, a circular gear tially in alignment with said goose-neck and with the tack-holding means.

BROR TAMM. 35

7 3O ing movement of the boom on a pivot substan- I pivot 

